Lily's Fight For Light

Chapter 4

"My life is like a car of which I think I am the driver.

I think that I can see where I am going on the road.

I hope and dream and long to rise myself up and go higher.

But now I see I've never had control;

I'm being towed." -Annette

After the incident in the library, I decide to clear my head and get something done for once. As I begin cleaning out my apartment, I can't help but notice that the red box is missing. Great, now I'll definitely be able to conceentrate on other things!

I search in vain for the box that may contain my last hope. I'm so immersed in my goal that time skips by me and and I sprint to my car and drive to the diner when I realize I'm late for work.

After a long shift, I come hone sweaty and unmotivated. I quickly scan my surroundings for any sliver of glowing red, but I just can't keep my eyes open and before I know it, I'm out cold on the couch. The next morning, I am woken by the sound of my phone beeping. How can I be late again? I really can't lose this job. Storybrooke isn't exactly thriving these days with jobs for people like me.

In the rush of things, I check my phone to see a text message from Emma. Oh, great. I had already decided that I just wanted to forget about this sitation for a while and focus on keeping my job at the diner. Finally, I give in and read the text.

Emma: Lily, happy New Year! Since you have off from work today, would you want to hang out and talk?

I am overwhelmed with a mixture of relief, joy, confusion, and uncertainty. How in all of Storybrooke, Maine did I forget that I have off today for the new year? We don't actually celebrate New Years here anymore, but all of the shops are closed because it's been that way for twenty-eight years prior the the breaking of the first curse and there's no real reason to change it now that we all remember who we are. My curse identity, Starla, is a part of me just as much as Lily is. To me, those cursed years were reminiscient of my teenage years, always being on the run and without any memories, background or guidance. Now that I remember who I really am, I consider myself a matured person. There's nothing holding me back from self- improvement, right?

Except there's just one minor problem. Unlike all of the other residents of Storybrooke, I am still cursed. I have not received my happy ending and by the looks of it, I probably never will.

As much as I hate to admit it, it's all because of Snow, David, and Emma. Okay, it's not exactly Emma's fault that her parents used dark magic to take the darkness out of her and put it into me, but now she thinks that everything is cool with us? With me?

Oh, hell no. Just because Emma's life is all rainbows and unicorn stickers now doesn't mean we're back to square one.

I am in the midst of writing Emma to decline her invitation when I gasp very audibly. I've been thinking about that box with the birthmark on my wrist all day and all night since I first noticed it, and now that I've finally seen it again, it's glowing brighter than I've imagined it could.

My heart is beating at the same rhythm as the box is shaking. Wait, why is it shaking? I've suspected that it was dangerous, but right now it looks like something is bulging inside of it, struggling to escape. I can see the pressure glowing before my eyes and I know that I must put this mystery first, and I have not a single minute to waste.

Lily: I thought I'd made it clear that for now, I need some alone time. However, I've had a change of heart. Meet by the clock tower at two o' clock sharp. I need answers.